Fire Safety Testing

Created more than 20 years ago, the French firm COSSILYS21 offers intelligent video-protection solutions. It equips major national banks, numerous regional banks, as well as shops. The COSSILYS21 firm is nowadays a reference in the banking sector.
COSSILYS21 and FOXSTREAM have established a strong partnership for several years. When Mister Alain Ghaye, CEO and main shareholder of COSSILYS21, decided to hand over its firm to retire, the idea of bringing closer the two firms naturally made its wa...

Frequentis has developed an application which allows location data and video from drones to feed directly into workstations in the control center, through its LifeX and ASGARD solutions. The integrated solution will be presented at the global trade fair for professional mobile communications and control centers, PMRExpo, in Cologne from November 27, 2018.
UAVs/Drones Application In Emergency Situations Video and sensor data provided by drones could vastly support rescue forces in their mission...

With many families affected by wildfires unable to spend the Thanksgiving holiday at home, the American Red Cross urges families in Los Angeles and Ventura counties to focus on home fire safety this weekend.
Thanksgiving is one of the leading days for home cooking fires. You can help protect yourself and loved ones from home fires—the nation's most frequent disaster—by testing your smoke alarms and practicing your escape plan with free resources from the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign...

The global market for Passive Fire Protection (PFP) Materials is estimated to reach US$ 30.2 billion by 2025. Growth in the market will be driven by the growing number of fire accidents, stringent fire safety regulations, and technological advances and product innovations.
The growing number of fire accidents worldwide in recent years has led to the implementation of increasingly stringent regulations related to fire safety across the globe. In this background, demand for fire management produc...

Leading lights in fire safety have been appointed by the International Fire Safety Standards Coalition [IFSS] to help improve building safety worldwide. A core group of twenty-two leading fire safety experts was appointed to the coalition’s standards setting committee that will work to develop landmark industry standards for fire safety in buildings.
Overcoming Risk To Public Safety
Past-president of the Association for Project Safety (APS) Bobby Chakravarthy – who is a founder mem...

Earlier this year, Johnson Controls partnered with a third-party consulting firm and research group to successfully test a new technology that could potentially save countless lives with early fire identification and intervention for rapid fire protection to the external facade of a building.
The standalone system was designed to quickly identify and accurately pinpoint the location of the fire and deliver water to that exact location within seconds. In addition, the system may use existing bui...

News

Fire detection is reaching new, advanced levels, designed to help save more lives. Edwards, continuing in its legacy as the inventor of the alarm bell, is the first multi-criteria smoke detector manufacturer to receive certification to the UL standard for Fire Alarm Systems UL 268, 7th edition, set to take effect May 2020. The new Signature Optica smoke detectors utilise a next-generation sensor that better distinguishes the type of fire and the danger it creates, as well as reducing nuisance alarms. Edwards is part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp.
UL-certified Signature Optica smoke detectors The Edwards Signature Optica detectors will differentiate between truly threatening smoldering fires and nuisances such as burning food or steam
The significantly revised standard incorporates three new tests, including a new cooking nuisance alarm test and two polyurethane foam tests for smoldering and flaming fires. These new tests better represent the smoke profiles and behavior of modern building fires to help ensure next-generation sensors are designed to give building occupants enough time to evacuate safely. All UL-certified smoke detectors are required to meet the enhanced requirements in 2020, representing a major change in the life-safety industry.
The Edwards Signature Optica detectors will differentiate between truly threatening fast-flaming or smoldering fires and nuisances such as burning food or steam. The new detectors may also improve overall occupant safety, as commercial buildings typically contain furnishings comprised of synthetic materials such as polyurethane foam that are known to ignite and burn faster than traditional materials. This is a major advancement for commercial building operators, especially in hospitality, healthcare and other facilities that can be prone to nuisance alarms.
Importance of multi-criteria smoke detectors
“Through our research, we know that fire dynamics have changed over the last several decades,” said Chris Hasbrook, Vice President and GM for UL’s Building and Life Safety division. “We know manufacturers like Edwards have been actively working toward meeting the new smoke detector requirements and we are happy to see the first certification mark on a multi-criteria smoke detector. While expanding the smoke detector’s ability to respond to a range of types of smoke generated from various types of fires, today’s smoke alarm will be more technologically advanced and have the ability to help reduce cooking nuisance alarms, and that’s extremely important for fire safety.”
The technology in Signature Optica represents a more sophisticated detection methodologyThe technology in Signature Optica represents a more sophisticated detection methodology. As particles enter the chamber, the size of the particles is analysed by a series of algorithms and consolidated into ratios to determine if the particles stem from a real fire or a nuisance source. This innovative approach was quickly matured using advanced design principles and the Edwards state-of-the-art fire test room. Signature Optica detectors can be retrofitted to existing Edwards systems without replacing control panels or software.
Enhanced fire safety
“Edwards is providing customers with the tools they need to alarm faster with greater accuracy, building on our 146-year legacy of fire and life-safety innovation,” said Edwards General Manager Angie Gomez. “The new Signature Optica smoke detectors will enhance protection of people and property while minimising false alarms that cause business interruption and unnecessary responses by fire departments.”
In 2014 alone, according to the NFPA Journal, U.S. fire departments responded to 2.5 million false alarms. The Signature Optica detector line will become commercially available in the coming months.

NFPA-IAFC-NVFC unveil joint fire service safety initiative
The “Fire Service Safety Stand Down Quiz” Sweepstakes is back as part of the annual Safety Stand Down campaign. Hosted by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in conjunction with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Safety Health & Survival Section and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), the interactive online quiz emphasises the importance of the 2018 Safety Stand Down theme, “Be Aware – Get Checked.”
Fire Service Safety Stand Down
The NFPA, IAFC and NVFC are asking all fire and emergency services personnel to take the 2018 quiz, which will be available June 22 through July 9 at www.nfpa.org/fireservicequiz. The quiz contains 15 questions related to being aware of your health and getting annual check-ups, with a focus on firefighter physicals, NFPA 1582 and the IAFC Roadmap to Firefighter Health and Wellness.
Everyone who completes the quiz will be automatically entered into the sweepstakes; 200 randomly selected participants will win a limited-edition challenge coin commemorating this year’s Safety Stand Down theme.
IAFC-NVFC joint fire safety initiative
Safety Stand Down is a joint educational and awareness initiative of the IAFC and NVFC. This year’s event takes place June 17-23, and departments are encouraged to suspend all non-emergency activities during this week to focus on training and education relating to health and safety. An entire week is provided to ensure all shifts and personnel can participate. With this year’s theme, members of the fire and emergency services are encouraged to focus on understanding, implementing and monitoring a comprehensive annual medical/physical and navigating the Road Map to Firefighter Health and Wellness. Topic information, training materials and videos will be available at www.SafetyStandDown.org, the official website for the Safety Stand Down event.
“The 2018 Safety Stand Down highlights the importance of firefighter wellness and the need for individuals to be aware of their health by having annual medical physicals,” said Curt Floyd, NFPA’s fire service technical lead and a former fire chief. “NFPA applauds the NVFC and the IAFC for reminding firefighters and command staff that it is their responsibility to continue to remain vigilant in their awareness of their personal health and wellness throughout their careers.”

NFPA introduces CodeFinder tool to reference international codes and standards
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released CodeFinder, a new interactive online tool that identifies the NFPA codes and standards that are in effect in U.S. municipalities or counties, as well as in regions of Canada, South America, Latin America and the Middle East.
Keeping up with new hazards, changing technologies and best practices is essential when it comes to optimising safety; but for busy building, design, electrical, emergency response, fire protection and industrial practitioners, it can be daunting to stay current on the codes being enforced in a given country, state or region. CodeFinder helps users around the globe identify the NFPA codes and standards in effect, including those referenced in other codes. The tool considers the data available at the state level, in cities with more than a quarter million in population and in counties with over one million in population (or the largest municipalities in the state). The tool also identifies the NFPA codes and standards being used in countries outside the United States.
NFPA Conference & Expo
At this week’s NFPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, President and CEO Jim Pauley highlighted the new tool, and emphasized the important role that codes, and standards play in the fire and life safety ecosystem. Pauley called for greater government responsibility; a commitment to using current codes and standards globally; safety prioritisation; a skilled workforce; code compliance and enforcement; well-resourced emergency preparedness and response support; and increased public education efforts.
"CodeFinder was developed so that those charged with fire and life safety can easily access up-to-date safety benchmarks and help reduce risk in our world"
“Codes and standards are developed by experts from around the globe to ensure a minimum level of safety. Current editions of codes incorporate learnings from new research, case studies, loss experience, and innovation. By applying the most recent codes and standards, we will ensure that people and property get the level of protection that they expect and deserve,” Pauley said. “CodeFinder was developed so that those charged with fire and life safety can easily access up-to-date safety benchmarks and help reduce risk in our world.”
CodeFinder online code-locator tool
CodeFinder utilises color-coded mapping, a convenient hovering feature, and filtering by jurisdiction. Users can also search by topic or by the most frequently used NFPA codes and standards. There is even a place for users to provide code information, if the information is not already included within CodeFinder.
The new digital code-finding tool includes International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) and International Code Council (ICC) information, as well as the NFPA codes and standards that are referenced within those IAPMO and ICC documents. The referenced NFPA documents are considered part of those codes – and, as such, should be enforced to ensure complete compliance and the ultimate level of safety. CodeFinder also references the NFPA documents that are in use in Canadian provinces and territories, as well as in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Saudi Arabia and the United American Emirates.
Color-coded mapping
Designed to be informational and educational, CodeFinder does not provide a comprehensive or exhaustive list of codes and standards usage, nor are amendments to those codes and standards reflected in the tool. The color-coding on the map reflects only the most up-to-date edition of a particular code or standard incorporated by any authority having jurisdiction. Prior to using the new NFPA resource, users will be prompted to review more details and disclaimers for CodeFinder.

NFPA provides safety tips on grills to avoid structure and unclassified fires
Grilling season is right around the corner and grill gurus everywhere are preparing for many family parties and barbecues. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) encourages grillers to pay attention to safety during the spring and summer months when home fires involving grilling incidents occur most often.
High rate of structure and unclassified fires
In 2011 – 2015, fire departments responded to an average of 9,600 home fires involving grills, hibachis or barbecues each year. That number included 4,100 structure fires and 5,500 outside or unclassified fires, according to NFPA. These fires caused an average of 10 civilian deaths, 160 civilian injuries, and $133 million in direct property damage per year.
July is the peak month for grilling fires followed by May, June and August. According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, 73 percent of consumers grill on the Fourth of July, 60 percent do so on Memorial Day, 58 percent grill on Labor Day, and 45 percent grill on Father’s Day.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s National Electronic Surveillance System, grills caused an average 4,500 non-thermal contact burns in patients seen at emergency departments in 2012 – 2016. Children under five suffered 1,600 or 35 percent of these burns. This type of injury typically occurred when someone bumped into, touched or fell on the grill, grill part or hot coals.
NFPA issues fire safety tips for grills -
NFPA reminds everyone that all types of grills pose a risk for fires and burn injuries
NFPA reminds everyone that all types of grills pose a risk for fires and burn injuries. Place the grill well away from siding and deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches, per manufacturer’s instructions. According to NFPA’s most recent fact sheet, 11 percent of home grill structure fires began when an outside wall caught fire and in roughly one of every five fires, the grill had not been cleaned.
“As grilling season approaches, it is important that grillers review basic safety tips to ensure they are grilling properly and safely,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy for NFPA. “Failing to properly clean the grill or having the grill too close to something that could burn are the leading causes of fires. Good practice dictates that home chefs check for damage before using the grill for the first time each year, and to check the entire grill regularly.”
Inspecting propane tank hoses
NFPA offers tips for checking damage to propane tank hoses before using. Additional grilling fire safety tips include:
Propane and charcoal BBQ grills should only be used outdoors
Children and pets should be at least three feet away from the grill area
Keep your grill clean by removing grease and fat buildup from the gates and trays below
Never leave your grill unattended

The tall wood building project was sponsored by the Foundation’s Property Insurance Research Group through a grant from the USDA, Forest Service
The Fire Protection Research Foundation (the Foundation), the research arm of the National Fire Protection Association, has released findings on how exposed timber in high-rise residences might impact fire behaviour. The new Phase 2 ‘Fire Safety Challenges of Tall Wood Buildings’ report provides data and insights from six large-scale test burns; and found that the exposed timber did influence the way the fire behaved.
In recent years, economic development officials, architects, designers and the fire service have asked for research related to the fire hazards associated with tall buildings with structural components comprised of engineered wood/cross laminated timber (CLT).
Fire compartmentation using CLT building elements
Members of the fire service have expressed concerns about wood construction in tall buildings. Today, buildings featuring wood construction are capped at six floors or 65 feet high, but some are advocating for those heights to be extended to 85 feet high or nine stories. Fire officials cite concerns about the combustible nature of wood; they point to previous research that shows that timber elements contribute to the fuel load in buildings and can increase the initial fire growth rate.
The tests were conducted without any sprinklers or firefighting intervention until the end of the tests in order to quantify the CLT contribution to compartment fires
To answer the research needs and address the concerns of the fire service, the goal of the project was to quantify the contribution of CLT building elements to compartment fires and to characterize the fire protection of the CLT structural elements using physical barrier (e.g. gypsum board) for delaying or preventing their involvement in the fire. Design trends could eventually lead architects to leave the timbers partially exposed, prompting fire protection researchers to ask what this could mean for fire growth, heat release, toxicity, and other factors.
NRC to conduct the CLT compartment fire study
The tall wood building project was sponsored by the Foundation’s Property Insurance Research Group through a grant from the USDA, Forest Service. The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) was contracted to lead the CLT compartment fire study due to their extensive experience and expertise in CLT fire studies. The NRC executed the test plan with the National Institute of Standards and Technology at their fire lab.
Six simulated studio apartments—each 30 feet long, 15 feet wide, and nine feet high—with four walls and a ceiling were built for testing. Each was filled with typical modern furnishings. The tests were conducted without any sprinklers or firefighting intervention until the end of the tests in order to quantify the CLT contribution to compartment fires (note: in North America, tall buildings are typically equipped with automatic sprinklers).
In two of the four tests, researchers adjusted the amount of ventilation in the room to see how that would impact the fire
Different testing methods
Each of the test areas had varying levels of exposed wood—two rooms had one wall with exposed timber, one had a ceiling exposed, and one had both. Two were fully encapsulated in gypsum board and were burned to form a baseline measurement. In two of the four tests, researchers adjusted the amount of ventilation in the room to see how that would impact the fire.
“We had limited information on compartment fires in these types of buildings, so it was a knowledge gap that we were looking to fill,” said Amanda Kimball, the Foundation’s research director.
Kimball noted that the data collected from the tests will inform “the fire service, codes and standards bodies, designers, and insurers about possible risks within these structures.” There are currently no plans for another study. Researchers did note, however, the need to determine how the connectors that hold the timber elements together perform in fire and how holes in the wooden panels—cut to allow for passage of cables, HVAC, and other systems—might affect fire behaviour.

EFFECT will highlight the need for a more detailed risk assessment by a qualified team of facade and fire engineers
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has created EFFECT, an Exterior Facade Fire Evaluation Comparison Tool to help global building owners, facility managers and authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) proactively assess risk in their high-rise building inventory with combustible facades. Enforcement authorities and those responsible for managing large portfolios of high rise buildings have been lacking a tool to assess and prioritise remediation works.
Fires in high-rise buildings with combustible exterior wall assemblies have occurred in cities from Berlin to Las Vegas to Dubai to London. In response to concern around the world, NFPA sponsored research by Arup, a global firm of engineering consultants, designers and planners working across every aspect of today’s built environment, to develop a risk assessment methodology that enables the prioritisation of mitigation work.
Prioritising inspection and remediation efforts
The Fire Protection Research Foundation facilitated a detailed review of the project with input from an international panel including Jensen Hughes as technical peer reviewer and Thomas Bell-Wright International Consultants of Dubai as advisors on facade systems fire testing. This High-Rise Buildings with Combustible Exterior Wall Assemblies research takes into account the building envelope; potential ignition sources; building characteristics; and existing fire safety measures such as means of warning, containment, and extinguishment. The result is the comprehensive prioritisation tool, EFFECT.
Arup’s thorough research allowed us to create EFFECT so that authorities can now prioritise inspection and remediation efforts in their jurisdiction"
“High-rise fires, where combustible facades are present, tend to move swiftly and can cause tremendous loss of life and property,” NFPA Director of Applied Research Birgitte Messerschmidt said. “We have seen news footage of fully engulfed high-rise buildings; and heard from concerned stakeholders looking to get out in front of facade fire and life safety problems. Arup’s thorough research allowed us to create EFFECT so that authorities can now prioritise inspection and remediation efforts in their jurisdiction.”
Two-tiered risk assessment process
“Keeping communities safe is at the heart of our work and it has become increasingly clear that there is a significant need to help building owners and authorities to risk-assess buildings with combustible facade systems in their portfolios and where necessary, prioritise remediation work,” Arup Fire Engineering Leader Dr. Susan Lamont added.
EFFECT takes into account the building, the facade, and the impact of potential ignition sources such as fire spreading from inside the building, or fire stemming from a vehicle, trash container, or balcony outside. The tool employs a two-tiered risk assessment process:
Tier 1 entails an AHJ, building owner, or facility manager answering a small number of questions with clearly pre-defined answers, to inform the ranking of buildings within their portfolio. Some questions pertain to the combustibility of the insulation and facade cladding; the presence of sprinklers; potential ignition sources; and the type of alarm system.
Tier 2 is where authorities will complete a deeper fire risk assessment evaluation of those buildings deemed at risk in Tier 1. Onsite inspection; as-built information; maintenance records; samplings; and laboratory testing of unknown facade materials are considered in this section.
The tool can be used in any geographic area; and currently applies to residential or business type occupancies that are over 18m high
Assessing risks in existing buildings
EFFECT, which is free to access, comes with a user’s guide that describes the methodology but is intended to help the user to answer each of the questions posed by EFFECT through words, images and examples.
In some instances, EFFECT will highlight the need for a more detailed risk assessment by a qualified team of facade and fire engineers. The tool can be used in any geographic area; and currently applies to residential (hotel, apartments) or business (office) type occupancies that are over 18m high. This height is measured as the vertical distance from the fire department access level to the uppermost occupied floor of the building. EFFECT assesses risk in existing buildings and has not been created for use in new building design.

Expert commentary

A number of shocking incidents involving fire have highlighted the need to better manage risks in buildings. David Adkins, managing director at Risk Warden, explains why some organisations need to give compliance with statutory regulations more focus and how the use of state-of-the-art online risk assessment tools can help to ensure that a building is as safe as possible.
The Grenfell Tower disaster in London, in which 72 people lost their lives, brought the subject of fire safety into sharp focus. A government review into building regulations in the wake of this tragedy, led by Dame Judith Hackitt, made it clear that competence – defined as a combination of knowledge, skills and experience – underpins safety for all.
It also found that that the current regulatory system is not fit for purpose and, with little or no quality monitoring, has created a situation where poor language confuses guidance with regulation and means that there is an overlapping regulatory enforcement framework.
Why you need a fire safety action plan
Sadly, Grenfell was not an isolated incident and similar events have occurred throughout the world. In 2017 a fire at a 17-storey commercial building in Iran led to multiple deaths, including those of 18 firefighters, while in 2015 16 people died in a fire in a residential building in Azerbaijan.
Perhaps what is most concerning is that these types of events have been regularly occurring for many years – in 2010 a fire in a 28-storey tower block in China killed 53 people and injured at least 90, while in 2004 a fire at a care home in Scotland led directly to the deaths of 14 residents. The inquiry concluded that this tragedy could have been prevented by a suitable fire safety action plan.
These examples highlight why it is vital to take the issue of safety seriously by undertaking a formal risk assessment. Put simply, if risks aren’t identified, a building’s occupants are in danger. There are a number of important pieces of legislation relating to this area in the UK including The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, which contain a consistent set of requirements.
Employers also have a general duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees at work.
The Grenfell Tower disaster in London, in which 72 people lost their lives, brought the subject of fire safety into focus
Responsibility for fire risk assessment
When it comes to the dangers associated specifically with fire, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO) places the onus on a designated responsible person within an organisation to carry out regular assessments to identify, manage and reduce the potential danger posed by fire.
Article 9 of the RRFSO states that "The responsible person must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed for the purpose of identifying the general fire precautions he/she needs to take to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed on him/her by or under this order". Any failure that leads to loss of life, personal injury or damage to property will expose a responsible person and could lead to prosecution.
Outside fire risk assessors
If the responsible person does not have the knowledge to carry out a fire risk assessment on his or her own, it will be necessary to call on a competent outside fire risk assessor. However, as Article 18 of the RRFSO points out, "Preference is to be given to a suitable competent person in the responsible person’s employment over a person not in their employment".
Just as importantly, it states that, "A person is to be regarded as competent where they have sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities to enable them properly to assist in undertaking the preventive and protective measures".
If an outside fire risk assessor is employed then the responsible person must undertake due diligence to ensure that the individual concerned is competent and has successful track record in this line of work. Failure to do so can have enormous repercussions like, for example, in 2017 when a former firefighter and professional fire risk assessor was given a sentence of four months in prison suspended for 12 months for providing a ‘woefully inadequate’ fire risk assessment in his capacity as a private consultant.
Failure to undertake due diligence when employing a fire risk assessor can have legal consequences
Monitoring and reviewing fire risk
It is up to the responsible person to put processes and procedures in place to enable compliance to be fully evidenced. This includes keeping up to date records of testing and maintenance regimes that can be scrutinised by relevant enforcement authorities, as well as enabling the responsible person to monitor, control and periodically review the fire risk assessment, especially during and after significant changes to the use or layout of a building.
At the moment there are no hard and fast rules as to how fire risk assessments should be carried out. However, the most important requirement is to identify the fire hazards and how people could be at risk.
In addition, emergency routes and exits, fire detection and warning systems, fire fighting equipment, the removal or safe storage of dangerous substances, and the needs of vulnerable people such as the elderly or those with disabilities must be factored in. The aim should always be to remove or reduce the risks as much as is 'reasonably practicable'.
A failure to provide satisfactory evidence that a comprehensive risk assessment has taken place could result in invalid insurance, large fines and even the prosecution of any individuals responsible.
To that end Article 11 of the RRFSO states that "The responsible person must make and give effect to such arrangements as are appropriate, having regard to the size of his/her undertaking and the nature of its activities, for the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of the preventive and protective measures".
Today’s state-of-the-art solutions are structured around an intuitive internet-based interface
Risk assessment and compliance tools
Sometimes, particularly with large buildings or campus environments, the complexity of the risk assessment process requires a more methodical approach that takes subjectivity out of the process. When it comes to satisfying the requirements of Article 11 of the RRFSO where "the responsible person must record the arrangements", the latest generation of intuitive risk assessment and compliance tools can help.
Today’s state-of-the-art solutions are structured around an intuitive internet-based interface, which allows a responsible person to be guided through the entire risk assessment process in a clear and thorough manner. This is a significant improvement on the old fashioned ‘pen and paper’ approach, as digital images can be captured and placed directly into a report at the relevant section, while templates for specific building types ensure consistency throughout.
This simplifies the identification, management and prevention of any risks related to not only fire, but security, and health and safety too, thereby reducing the potential for danger within a wide variety of environments.
It should always be remembered that the risk assessment is only the first stage of the process and where traditional methods often fall down is in taking – or not taking, as the case may be – any necessary remedial action. Online tools provide a more cohesive approach, as once the risk assessment has been completed all work undertaken is clearly outlined, logged and accounted for to comply with audits.
This provides evidence of compliance and ensures organisations meet their legal obligations, validate their insurance, take a consistent approach to risk management and provide peace of mind for a responsible person.
Making buildings safer
There is a clear need for a digital record of risk assessment compliance for the whole life of a building – from design and construction through to occupation. As assessing risk can be a lengthy and complicated process, anything that makes this easier and enhances an organisation’s ability to negate the likelihood of injury or even death should be embraced.
It stands to reason that risk management must be more strictly applied in order to prevent incidents that could be avoided – therefore, the use of online risk assessment and compliance tools should be at the forefront when it comes to making buildings safer.

A new study reveals that intelligent fire detection systems have the potential to unlock more than 30 percent cost-savings on routine maintenance checks through real-time, data-driven remote monitoring. Kevin Mears, Product Manager for Kentec Electronics, describes how remote monitoring and predictive maintenance can meet the competitive challenges of the digital age.
Leading economists have identified the convergence and synergies delivered by The Internet of Things – the interconnection via the Internet of computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data – as a powerful force to create entirely new business models for system developers and integrators, by releasing the potential of remote interrogation.
Remote diagnostics: A cost-efficient approach
For the fire systems sector the definition of remote diagnostics is instructive: “Improving the reliability of life-critical installations and reducing maintenance costs by monitoring the condition of the system remotely to obviate unplanned maintenance.” The practical economic value of this data-driven approach to maintenance monitoring is highlighted by the findings by one of the largest global companies specialising in infrastructure solutions. The company found their costs for avoidable maintenance work were just as high, annually, as their actual profit from production: alerting them to seek a fresh rationale to release this massive saving potential.
Intelligent system interoperability
So, the message is clear: real value can be created by optimising predictive maintenance by means of smarter remote troubleshooting, enabled by liberating the interoperability between intelligent systems so their full potential can be realised – and it’s a message that fully applies to an AFD (automatic fire detection and fire alarm system) to the significant benefit of service providers and to end users.
Specifically, programmed remote diagnostics that discriminatively interrogate an AFD can cut out the need for excessively scheduled maintenance intervals, a measured approach to risk management that harnesses the interconnected intelligence of versatile addressable field devices to deliver an immense reduction of on-site maintenance costs.
Reducing false alarm downtime
It’s worth remembering that of the more than 600,000 call out incidents were attended by Fire and Rescue Services, nearly 50 percent of these were due to false fire alarms. The cost of this wasted time for both business and the fire service is estimated to be well in excess of £1 billion per year, and that includes downtime from needless evacuations.
Clearly, such preventable emergency alerts can be sensibly reduced by the use of intelligent predictive technology, reducing the need for fire risk professionals to travel to monitored sites by allowing potential problems to be resolved before they arise.
To tackle this menace of false activations, one of the leading innovators in the fire safety market has now devised an entirely new future-proof management platform that fully exploits internet-enabled technology to establish a new concept in Life Safety System performance, designed to add value to system designer, integrator, service provider and the end user.
Customisable fire detection control
Entering the market as a new concept in fire detection control equipment, this life safety technology brings a new approach to system annunciation made possible by onscreen virtualisation of any life safety system via fire alarm system repeater panels, augmented by configurable, application-specific annunciator panels (such as nurses stations, sprinkler indicators, lift alarms, etc.), supported by an easy-to-configure modularity of software that makes any project customisable.
The technology is designed to yield the key benefits bestowed by the virtualisation of remote monitoring
Foremost, the system combines the efficiency of high-integrity fire data communications – whose performance to minimise false activations is defined by the highest reliability in resistance to outside interference – with a touchscreen-accessible configurable network whose high performance is measured by compliance with BS EN standards for control and indicating equipment, power supply equipment, and system components compatibility.
At its core, this capability incorporates the latest hardware and software to deliver a system that fulfills the precautionary measures most frequently demanded by integrators and contractors. These include the management of fire and security servicing inspection routines, false fire alarm interrogation and diagnosis, or the scheduling of system maintenance call-outs. At the same time, this capability benefits users with the support of a full audit trail for traceability and regulatory compliance. Sophisticated network analysis tools, in addition, provide the ability to identify connection problems instantly.
Fire management: A new dimension
This internet-enabled resource permits information to flow according to the needs of each interface, and to match specific supervisory structures; for example, from the restricted entry-level user, through facilities management, to the maintenance engineer.
Individual logins grant individual levels of access. This means that the intuitive touchscreen repeater screens are an easy-to-operate entry-point for those with specific safety duties in a fire zone. These screens can be programmed to ensure restricted users receive on-screen information relating only to their preordained tasks, which communicates clearly so they comprehend quickly and respond without panic.
For more complex system demands, at the unrestricted level of engineer or building manager, for instance, these utilities permit layer upon layer of operating data to be retrieved for reliable incident reports. By drilling down, through the menu-driven interactions, management can review system event logs, conduct tests, change emergency notification, check trouble signals, disable the system, manage inspections and callouts, and improve servicing and maintenance regimes.
Cloud notifications are accessed 24/7 for online monitoring via users’ smartphones, tablets, and other digital devices, ensuring full system event activity reporting, including multiple sites, false alarm diagnostics and functional testing of system devices. In addition, traceability for site compliance is delivered to benefit users with a full audit trail for regulatory conformance – including operational and performance records to register maintenance routines and all mandatory periodical tests are completed, with full confidentiality of all data.
Virtuality: The new reality of predictive analytics
The technology described here is designed to yield the key benefits bestowed by the virtualisation of remote monitoring:
1. To permit businesses to monitor status of devices in the field for maintenance or upgrade
2. To reduce downtime and improves network efficiencies when coupled with predictive analytics
3. To reduce servicing costs by enhancing maintenance regimes
4. To enable system integrators to harvest operational data and apply these insights to customise user services that build and retain customer loyalty
5. To deliver an operational and performance record for compliance and traceability.
Kevin Mears
Product Manager
Kentec Electronics Ltd.
Article published courtesy SourceSecurity.com®, a division of Notting Hill Media Limited.
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